During automotive manufacturing processes, various components may be coupled to one another using adhesives, such as when various panels are adhered to one another for form the roof of a vehicle. However, during subsequent steps of the manufacturing process, the panels and adhesive are exposed to increased temperatures, which cause expansion of the panels, and may lead to adhesive failure when the expansion occurs after the adhesive has fully cured.
Conventional methods used to evaluate and select adhesives have included testing the adhesives on static panels, which does not account for the stresses imparted on the adhesive layer during the manufacturing process. Accordingly, a need exists for alternative methods for predicting and detecting adhesion failure during automotive manufacturing processes.